


Domestic Concerns of Superheroes

by swinggal138



Series: Steve and Clint's Girls [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Feels, Gen, Implied Sexual Content, Married Couple, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-14
Updated: 2013-09-14
Packaged: 2017-12-26 13:57:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 20,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/966737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swinggal138/pseuds/swinggal138
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve Rogers and his wife Alice work through a problem in their marriage regarding children while Anne and Clint Barton struggle through some relationship issues of their own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Alice moved around her kitchen, humming to herself. It was a smaller kitchen than Steve used to have at his old place but she loved it all the same; she loved everything about their new place. Alice was currently working on fixing dinner, eagerly awaiting the arrival of her husband. She had already been married to him for over a year but she still got butterflies in her stomach every single time she saw him. Smiling to herself, she pulled the lasagna from the oven, setting it to cool on the stove as she finished setting the table. Steve had some kind of meeting at S.H.I.E.L.D. that day and she knew those could stress him out sometimes, especially when he had to deal with Tony Stark, so she had prepared his favorite meal.   
She had just finished pouring them each a glass of wine when she heard the front door open and Steve walked through, looking exhausted but very happy to see her. Wiping her hands on her apron, she walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and standing on her toes to kiss him soundly on the lips. His strong arms came around her waist as he deepened the kiss, backing her up until she was pressed against the wall. Finally, they broke apart, Steve placing a final kiss on her forehead before gazing down at her.  
“I missed you today,” he said.  
“I missed you too.”  
He leaned down and kissed her passionately again, running his hands down her sides while hers threaded in his hair. Releasing her lips, he kissed a line down her neck, before murmuring against her skin,  
“You know, your lasagna smells amazing and I am honestly struggling if I want it...or if I rather just take you into that bedroom right now.”  
“Well,” Alice responded, playing with his hair, “if we eat now, then you can have both tonight. But if you choose the bedroom option right now, I promise that reheated lasagna is not nearly as good.”  
“You bring up a good point,” he said, standing up and placing one last kiss on her lips before going over to the table. Alice grabbed the lasagna off the stove, placed it in the center of the table, and joined him at the table. Sipping their wine and eating, Steve told her all about the meeting while Alice told him about her day; marriage suited them both quite well.

. . .

Anne was lounging on the bed upstairs, trying to read her book, but she could barely focus on the words. Clint should be home soon and she was incredibly excited to see him. It had been almost a week since he left; he was on some mission for S.H.I.E.L.D. then he had a debriefing meeting today. She was just reading her last sentence for about the fifth time in a row when she heard the front door open and Clint’s voice call out,  
“You know, after being gone for a week, I would have expected a bigger welcome from you, babe.”  
A huge smile crossed her face as she called back to him,  
“Well maybe your welcome is waiting upstairs.”  
Anne heard him quickly kick off his shoes and cross the apartment, scrambling up the spiral staircase that led to the loft bedroom. Finally emerging from the stairs, he looked over at his girlfriend reclining in her pajamas. He made his way over to the bed, laying on top of Anne and kissing her deeply; he hadn’t even bothered to take off his uniform vest or archery gloves. She returned his kiss hungrily, running her fingers through his hair. Finally breaking the kiss, he stared down at her,  
“What, you couldn’t even dress up for me?”  
“Well, if you want, I can always go put something fancier on...you know, something with lots of buttons that takes you forever to take off.”  
“Don’t even think about it,” he replied, kissing her again.   
“I missed you,” he said, breaking the kiss and gazing down at her.  
“I missed you too,” she said, running her hand down the side of his face.  
“Yeah? Prove it.”  
“Fine,” Anne replied, wrapping her hand around the back of his neck and bringing his lips down to hers, slipping her tongue past his lips to barely touch his before releasing his mouth, kissing a line down his neck to suck on the sensitive skin of his collarbone. He let out a gasp as he removed his gloves and his hands trailed down her sides until he reached the edge of her shirt, his fingers reaching up underneath it, grazing her skin before lifting the garment over her head in one swift motion.


	2. Chapter 2

Alice woke up and rolled over, finding herself face to face with her adorable sleeping husband. She placed a quick kiss on his lips before slipping out of bed to make coffee. A few moments later, Steve slipped up behind her as she was pouring her first cup, his arms slipping around her waist as he placed kisses on her neck. She set her cup down on the counter and turned around to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck and standing on her toes to properly kiss him good morning.  
“So,” she said, grabbing her cup and moving to pour him one, “what’s on our agenda for today?”  
“We have tickets to that Yankees game.”  
“Oh right, forgot about that. Are we doing food before or after?”  
“I was thinking before. That way we won’t be tempted by their ten dollar hot dogs and twenty dollar beers.”  
“Of course. Good thinking,” Alice replied, placing a kiss on his cheek before going over to sit on the couch. Steve joined her, placing his arm around her shoulders as she snuggled into his side, turning on the tv for some Saturday morning relaxation before getting ready for the game.  
Later that day, the two of them sat in their seats at the game, each holding a soda in their hands; they had gone to a nice little burger place for lunch. Alice wasn’t much of a baseball fan herself but she was defintely willing to sit through the games with her wonderful husband, watching his face light up as he cheered for the players, sometimes giving her a spontaneous kiss after a particularly great play. For hours, they sat there watching the game, enjoying each other’s company. Both of them worked a lot during the week; S.H.I.E.L.D. made sure to keep Steve busy with various tasks and assignments while Alice was constantly working at the art gallery that had hired her after finding out about her extensive knowledge of art history. They were fortunate enough to spend most of their evenings and weekends together though and both were blisfully happy in their new lives.   
Around the start of the seventh inning, someone tapped Steve on the shoulder. Alice and Steve turned around to find Tony Stark standing behind them.  
“Capsicle. Grace Kelly.”  
Alice smiled at Tony’s latest nickname for her but Steve just shot him an indifferent look.  
“Tony, never would have picked you as a baseball man.”  
“Hey, I could like sports. Maybe.”  
At this point, Pepper Potts appeared behind him, interrupting him,  
“I’m the baseball fan. He’s just along because big crowds mean more people to fawn over him.  
“Now that makes more sense. Hello Pepper,” Steve said, smiling at her.  
“Hi Steve.”  
“Hey Pepper, Tony,” Alice said, smiling at them.  
“Hey Alice. Date day for you and the hubbie?”  
“Yeah, one of the few times we get together. Thought we would make a day of it.”  
“Well, we don’t want to interrupt your date.”  
“We don’t?” Tony asked.  
“No, we don’t. Just wanted to say hi.”  
“It was good to see you, Pepper,” Alice said.  
And with that Pepper and Tony wandered off in search of something Tony deemed decent enough to drink to get him through the rest of the game. Alice, noticing that interactions with Tony made him a bit tense, reached over and took Steve’s hand, kissing the back of it. He smiled at her, giving her a quick kiss, then leaned his head down until it rested on top of hers. And together they enjoyed the rest of the game.  
. . .

Anne slowly woke up the next morning, glancing over at her boyfriend who was sleeping on his stomach and had his arm flopped over her middle; charming. She knew that, by their rule, whoever woke up first was supposed to make coffee, but she was incredibly comfortable and had no intention of getting out of the warm bed. Thankfully Clint was a deep sleeper and she could move without waking him up. She rolled on her side and managed to move his arm so that it was around her waist and, in his sleep, he naturally turned to her, pulling her against his chest and nuzzling into her neck. Now comfortably spooning with Clint, Anne fell back asleep.  
A few hours later, Anne awoke to Clint placing kisses down her neck. She slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him.   
“You know, that doesn’t get you out of making the coffee this morning. First one awake. You know the rules,” she said to him.   
He didn’t say anything as his lips trailed up to her ear, biting down hard, pullling a moan from her lips. Then suddenly he removed his arm and rolled back over, away from her.  
“Hey!” Anne protested, playfully shoving him.  
“That’s for earlier. I know you were awake earlier; you are not subtle when you move. Now, coffee, get to it,” he replied, turning back to her and starting to nudge her out of bed.  
“Fine, fine,” she conceded, crawling out of bed, taking her time with putting on her robe, doing some teasing of her own.   
She wandered down the stairs and to the kitchen, measuring out the coffee and starting the machine. Before long, the fragrant smell filled the apartment and Anne poured them each a cup, bringing them back upstairs, handing one mug to Clint and joining him in the bed again. Leaning over, he placed a kiss on her lips.  
“You’re the best, babe.”  
“Yeah, yeah...so, do you have to be at S.H.I.E.L.D. again today?”  
“Nope. I am yours for the entire day.”  
“Really? Lucky me. So, what are we going to do?”  
“Want to work on some of those new fight techniques I was teaching you?”  
“Yeah! I tried to practice while you were gone but it is not so easy without a partner.”  
“Yeah, air doesn’t fight back like I do. We can start after we finish our coffee.”  
“Sounds like a plan,” Anne replied, leaning over to kiss her boyfriend on the cheek.


	3. Chapter 3

It was fairly late when they got home from the game. Steve and Alice wandered into their apartment, Chinese take-out in hand since both were too exhausted to cook. Alice collapsed on the couch, getting the food laid out on the coffee table while Steve put in a movie. They ate in relative silence, watching the movie and enjoying the feeling of being able to relax. After they were done, Steve got up to put away the leftovers, telling Alice to just stay on the couch. Once the kitchen was clean and the food put away, Steve joined her again, immediately laying her down on the couch, kissing her deeply, tongue sliding over hers while her hands worked their way under his t-shirt, running up and down his chest. The movie completely forgotten, Alice and Steve lay on the couch, exchanging kisses like they were a couple of teenagers in high school. Although they had been together for over two years now, the spark of their relationship never went out. Each day, Steve and Alice fell more and more in love with each other, a fact obvious to everyone. It wasn’t that they never had problems; they faced the same arguments and issues every couple did. But they never went to bed angry with each other; they wouldn’t allow it.   
After hours of kissing each other breathless, Steve and Alice finally broke apart, putting another movie in and curling up on the couch. Before long, both were fast asleep, the movie still playing in the background. It wasn’t until about three in the morning that they woke up again, groggily moving to the bedroom and falling asleep again right away.


	4. Chapter 4

After they had finished their coffee and eaten a bit of breakfast, Clint and Anne changed into clothes suitable for fighting; Clint wore a tight, red workout shirt and black athletic shorts while Anne was in a sports bra and tight workout capris. They moved the couch back against the wall, the coffee table into the kitchen, and put anything that could be broken as much out of the way as possible. Clint grabbed the mats from their storage closet and laid them out on the floor. The two of them moved into position.   
“Ready?” he asked.  
“Ready.”  
He came at her swinging and she adroitly blocked his every move, ducking and weaving, taking a few swings of her own. Suddenly, he distracted her with a punch and kicked her legs out from under her; Anne landed flat on her back on the mats with a thud.  
“Remember, you have to watch both arms and legs,” Clint said, reaching his hand down to help her up.  
“Yeah, I got that,” she replied, rubbing her sore back.  
They resumed the starting position and he came at her again. This time, she successfully jumped his attempted kick and was able to land a few punches of her own. The fighting continued for quite awhile with Clint and Anne taking water breaks every now and then before resuming the training. During one skirmish, Clint managed to get behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle and attempting to take her down but Anne used her arms to get leverage on him and flipped him over her, landing him on the mat.  
“Wow, well done,” he said from his spot on the floor.  
He jumped back to his feet and continued the fighting. Now, Clint was a trained assassin, something Anne tried not to forget; his fighting skills were impeccable and it showed in the way he worked with his girlfriend. However, he was usually extremely careful with her, making sure not to get lost in his own head and focusing on toning things down to her level. But sometimes, after a stressful mission like the one he had just been on, it was hard to stay so focused. This wouldn’t have been an issue with his last girlfriend, Natasha, whose fighting skills were equal to his, but Anne was just a novice. Clint made move after move on Anne as she successfuly deflected it all, returning his punches and kicks; she didn’t notice the change in his demeanor as his fighting got more intense. His hits started coming faster and Anne was incredibly quick about blocking them, beaming that her skills were improving so quickly. He tried attacking from the back again and she flipped him onto the mat once more. But then his arm shot out, grabbing her right ankle, something Anne had never experienced before. He twisted real quick, bringing his girlfriend to the mat as her ankle gave a mighty crack; suddenly, Clint was brought back to reality.  
“Oh shit, Anne!”  
He quickly crawled over to his girlfriend, who was grabbing her ankle, her face contorted in pain.   
“I’m fine,” she protested, still clutching her ankle which was beginning to swell.  
Clint rose to his feet and lifted Anne up, carrying her over to the couch where he layed her down, slowly removing her hands from her ankle and instructing her to lay back. Before examining the ankle, he looked at her with a look of complete sorrow.  
“I am so sorry. I can’t believe I got carried away like that.”  
“It’s okay. I’m fine.”  
Clint looked unconvinced, guilt still filling his heart as he told her to just relax a moment.   
“Now, I know you hate it when people touch your feet but I need to if I’m going examine your ankle.”  
Anne nodded and Clint slowly scooted over, tenderly taking her ankle into his lap. It was quite swollen and twisted at a slightly odd angle; the skin around it was starting to turn a nasty shade of black and blue.  
“Yeah, this is definitely broken. Come on, I’m taking you to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.”   
“Can’t we just go to the hospital?”  
“I’d rather have you in the hands of someone I trust.”  
“Will they let me into S.H.I.E.L.D.?”  
“Let me call Coulson real quick.”  
Clint whipped out his cell phone, pressing a button that directly dialed Agent Phil Coulson.  
“Coulson? Barton. I have an accident to report, occured at my place...yeah, severely broken ankle, possible head trauma...female, age 28...yes sir...no sir, I’m fine...yes sir, we will be there in twenty minutes.”  
Clint hung up the phone and moved towards the kitchen to get an ice pack for Anne to place on her ankle.  
“Alright, since I was the cause of the accident, I can bring you in and they will help you. We’re to meet Coulson at the local hopsital where they will airlift us to the Helicarrier.”  
“Okay...and did you say head trauma?”  
“I said possible head trauma...I mean, you did hit your head after all and it sounded more dramatic.”  
Anne shook her head at her boyfriend as he lifted her off the couch.  
“Clint, I don’t need you to carry me. I just need to lean on you for support.”  
“Carrying you is faster...besides, makes me feel like some kind of superhero.”  
“Yeah superhero who broke my ankle,” Anne said jokingly, until she noticed the look of sorrow in his eyes, “Sorry. It’s okay, really. I know you didn’t mean to. Just know that when I do recover...I will kick your ass.”  
Clint looked at her again, some of his sass returning to his eyes,  
“You can certainly try, book nerd.


	5. Chapter 5

Alice woke up the next morning, wrapped in Steve’s arms. She vaguely remembered moving to the bed the night before; being out in the sun all day had definitely worn her out. But it had been nice to have a whole day with her husband with no errands to run or work to be done. Speaking of errands, Alice knew that putting them off the day before meant that there was plenty to be done today. She didn’t have time during the week to get anything done so it was usually reserved for the weekend. As she mentally began to make a checklist of the tasks to be accomplished that day, Alice pulled herself from the bed, pulling on a nightgown, and headed to the kitchen to start brewing coffee and making breakfast. She had just pushed the start button on the brewer when Steve came into the kitchen. Without saying a word, he hit the off switch on the coffee maker, threw Alice over his shoulder, and walked with her back to the bedroom, tossing her lightly on the bed. She just looked up at him like he had gone crazy.  
“You are up far too early for a Sunday.”  
“Well, there’s a lot to be done today.”  
“Like what?”  
“Like grocery shopping and gardening and cleaning.”  
“Those are all things that can wait, I promise.”  
“And just when are we going to do them Steve?” Alice asked, a bit grumpy since she had yet to have coffee.  
“We can do them next weekend.”  
“Not the gardening.”  
“Fine, I will give you gardening. That is something we can do together today. But we are not going to run out of food in the next week and I promise that the dust isn’t going anywhere.”  
Alice pouted on the bed a bit until Steve tackled her into the sheets, kissing her soundly on the lips. As he broke the kiss, he smiled at her, brushing some stray strands of hair out of her face.  
“I just want to spend the entire day with you...here...at our apartment. For once, not worrying about needing to be someplace or do something.”  
A smile finally slowly made its way across Alice’s face as she looked at her adorable man, smiling at her with his perfect jaw and stunning blue eyes; she knew she was a lucky woman.  
“Okay,” she finally conceded, “but what are we going to do all day?”  
“Well,” Steve began, laying himself fully on top of her under the covers, beginning to kiss down her neck as his fingers made their way to the edge of her nightgown, “if we can get this garment off of you first, I have an idea of what could occupy our time for most of the morning.”  
“Most of the morning, huh?”  
“Yeah, possibly even into the afternoon,” Steve whispered against her skin.  
“I will hold you to that,” Alice said, running her fingers up and down his arms and kissing a spot just behind his ear that made him sigh and remove her nightgown in one swift motion. Once the garment was tossed aside, he moved his hands all over her now-exposed skin, bringing his mouth up to hers and kissing her deeply. She ran her fingers into his hair, giving his still mussed-up strands a good tug, causing him to groan into her mouth and retaliate by brushing his fingers repeatedly against a spot on her spine. Spurred on by this, Alice rolled them over in one swift motion, straddling him as she ran her hands up his firm chest and back into his hair, leaning down to suck on the soft skin of his collarbone. Steve gasped, sliding his hands up to stroke across her chest. Suddenly, Steve flipped them back over, dipping his tongue between her lips briefly before kissing down her neck, past her collarbone, across her cleavage, lower; Alice felt his excitement against her thigh as Steve then proceeded to keep his earlier promise far into the afternoon.


	6. Chapter 6

Clint managed to get Anne into his car, pushing the front seat back enough for her to stretch out her leg completely. He placed the ice pack on her ankle and got into the driver’s side. Driving somewhat like a madman, Clint made his way to the hospital for the helicopter to pick them up.   
“Clint, slow down,” Anne said, clinging to the door handle for dear life, “I have a broken ankle; I’m not dying.”  
“I know...it’s just...I feel horrible; I shouldn’t have lost control like that.”  
“It’s okay. I’m not blaming you; accidents happen.”  
“Yeah, but I blame me. I shouldn’t have been pulling moves like that.”  
“Clint,” Anne said, reaching over and taking one of his hands, placing a kiss into his palm, “I know you would never hurt me. This was just an accident okay? I knew what risks I was taking when we started this training. It is no big deal.”  
Anne intertwined her fingers with his, stroking her thumb across his hand, and Clint seemed to calm a little. In no time at all, they reached the hospital and Clint saw that their ride was already there. He went over to Anne’s side of the car, lifting her out of it, and took her carefully over to the helicopter where Agent Coulson stood outside waiting.  
“Agent Barton.”  
“Sir.”   
“When were you planning on telling me the ‘female, age 28,’ referred to your girlfriend?”  
“When it was necessary sir. It doesn’t change the facts; this was still my fault.”  
“Well, get her in the helicopter and you can explain on the way.”  
Clint and Coulson lifted Anne into the seat, making sure her ankle stayed elevated. Coulson went around to the front and jumped in the passenger seat while Clint got up next to Anne, sitting directly next to her and taking her into his lap. He turned her face to him, one hand threading into her hair as he looked into her eyes. Stroking his thumb across her cheek, he said,  
“Babe, I am so sorry.”  
He brought his lips up to hers, kissing her deeply, as Coulson pretended not to notice in the front seat. When they finally broke apart, Coulson turned to Clint.  
“Now, Agent Barton, care to explain what happened?”  
Clint spent the remainder of the ride telling Coulson about how he had started teaching Anne some fight moves and how things had gotten a bit out of hand.  
Once they arrived at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Hellicarrier, Anne was immediately taken into the infirmary. An x-ray revealed that it was a type A lateral malleolus fracture, or a fracture at the end of the fibula. Thankfully, she wouldn’t need surgery but she would have to wear a cast for six weeks. After that, she would be brought in again to remove the cast and be placed in a physical therapy program. Once her cast was in place and crutches were fitted for her, Anne was helped back into the helicopter and her and Clint were lifted back to the hospital. As they were getting back in the car, Clint looked over at her,   
“I still feel bad, babe; I really do. I wish there was some way for me to make it up to you.”  
“Oh there is,” Anne replied with a snarky grin; Clint just looked at her, one eyebrow raised, “Who do you think gets to take care of me during these next six weeks?”


	7. Chapter 7

Around three in the afternoon, Steve and Alice were still in bed, spooning under the covers, exhausted and well-sated; they hadn’t spent the majority of the day in bed since they first got married. Dragging themselves out of bed, Alice and Steve slowly got dressed in some lounging-around clothes, finally going to the kitchen to make coffee and cook some breakfast. After a meal of bacon and eggs and several cups of coffee, Alice insisted that they had to get some gardening done. They changed into shorts and t-shirts and spent the remainder of their afternoon in the garden; Steve pulled all the weeds as Alice tended to the vegetables and herbs, making sure they were well watered.  
As the sun started to go down, the couple made their way back inside, reheating the leftover Chinese and collapsing on the couch once again. They finished eating and Alice snuggled into Steve’s arms as he placed a kiss on the top of her head.  
“Alice,” Steve began; Alice looked up at him, “Alice, have I told you lately just how much I love you? I am so lucky to have you in my life.”  
“I love you too Steve. You have made me happier than I ever imagined I could be. I don’t know what I would do without my Captain.”  
“And I don’t know what I would do without my beautiful girl out of time.”  
Alice leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips, her hand slipping behind his neck to pull him closer. They sat on the couch, watching a movie and exchanging random kisses until they were both too exhausted to keep their eyes open and headed back to bed, falling asleep in each other’s arms once again.


	8. Chapter 8

Finally arriving home, Clint helped Anne use her crutches, and after much maneuvering and stumbling, he was able to get her into their apartment and onto the couch. Not feeling like cooking, Clint ordered them a pizza and the two of them sat munching on slice after slice and drinking beer while watching some action movie on TV. Eventually, they both started feeling tired and decided it was time for bed. Clint stood up from the couch and started wandering up to their bedroom when Anne’s voice stopped him,  
“Hey Mr. Superhero, where ya going?”  
“To bed,” he said as if that were the most obvious thing in the world, “aren’t you coming?”  
Anne cleared her throat and directed her attention down to her ankle; there was no way she was making it up the spiral staircase.  
“Oh...right” Clint said, looking a bit disappointed in himself that he forgot.  
“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Anne said, “you go to bed and I’ll just crash here on the couch.”  
“Are you sure?” he said, looking at her.  
“Of course. You go on to bed.”  
Clint came back down the stairs, leaning over Anne and giving her a deep kiss.  
“Alright. Yell if you need anything.”  
“Will do. Goodnight, my tight shirt man.”  
“Goodnight book nerd,” Clint said, giving her one last kiss before heading up the stairs.  
Anne lay on the couch, trying her best to find a comfortable position with her leg elevated. Thankfully, it was a pretty wide couch and gave her quite a bit of room to maneuver. Finally, she drifted off to sleep. But not twenty minutes later, she was awakened to Clint moving her over a bit and crawling onto the couch behind her, wrapping his arms around her and placing a few kisses on her neck.  
“What are you doing?”  
“I couldn’t sleep knowing you were down here by yourself,” he explained, pulling her closer, tracing his fingers up and down her arm while kissing her soundly on the lips. She smiled and nuzzled into his chest. As they were both drifting off, Anne remembered just how much Clint loathed sleeping on couches and her smile got even bigger, flattered by the simple sacrifice he was making for her.


	9. Chapter 9

By the time Alice woke up the next morning, Steve was already gone. She put on her robe and wandered down to the kitchen, finding a note from him that said,

S.H.I.E.L.D. called me in early this morning. Sorry. But a pumpkin muffin and vanilla latte are in the fridge for you from that favorite coffee shop of yours. Love you and see you tonight.  
Your captain

Alice smiled to herself, wandering over to the fridge and taking out the aforementioned items. She heated them up then went to change into her light blue blouse and pencil skirt. Sipping on her coffee, Alice hailed a cab and headed to the gallery; a big showing was coming up soon so there was much to be done. The remainder of her morning was spent rushing around, looking over the new pieces coming in, and helping with other random administrative duties. At lunch, Alice finally had a chance to sit down. She was munching on a sandwich she had bought from the deli around the corner when her co-worker Megan came in and sat down at the table with her.  
“Hey Megan,” Alice greeted her, pushing aside the paper she had been reading.  
“Hey Alice.”  
“Keeping busy?”  
“Definitely. I will be so glad when this showing is over.”  
“I bet. You deserve a long vacation on the beach after this one.”  
Megan was in charge of event coordinating at the gallery and Alice knew that she had been running non-stop for the last three months trying to get this exhibition together.  
“So, how was your weekend? Do anything fun with Steve?”  
“We went to a Yankees game on Saturday so that was fun. Then we just hung around our place on Sunday. It was nice to be able to spend an entire weekend with him for once.”  
“I bet. I know he goes out of town a lot so it must be nice to have him home for awhile.”  
“It is. So, did you and Richard do anything fun?”  
“No, not really. Just ran errands mostly. We have a lot of preparation with a baby on the way.”  
“I can imagine! When does your maternity leave start?”  
“September. Speaking of kids, have you and Steve talked about that yet?”  
“No, it’s never really been brought up. I mean, maybe it was mentioned while we were dating but we’ve never made it a huge topic of discussion.”  
“Do you want kids?”  
“Definitely. Honestly, my dream career is to be a stay-at-home mom.”  
“You would make a great mom.”  
“Thanks. Oh, looks like my lunch is over. Time to get back to work I guess. I’ll talk to you later, Megan.”  
“Later.”  
Alice got back to work but what Megan said about having kids didn’t leave her mind all day; maybe it was time for Steve and her to discuss it  
Later that night, Alice was putting the finishing touches on dinner when Steve finally got home. He took off his jacket and shoes and joined her in the kitchen, kissing her hello.  
“Did you like my little surprise this morning?”  
“I loved it. You are so thoughtful.”  
They sat at the table, eating dinner, when Alice finally spoke up about the thing that was on her mind.  
“Steve, my love, there was something I wanted to talk to you about.”  
“Yes, my dear?”  
“You know, you and I have never really talked about the kids thing, and I was thinking making we should.”  
Steve got very silent on the other side of the table, looking down at his plate and shoveling another bite of potatoes into his mouth, taking his time before answering.  
“I don’t think we should talk about this now.”  
“Why not? I mean, we’ve been married for a year. I don’t see any harm in at least discussing it.”  
“I don’t think now’s the right time for this conversation.”  
“Ok...” Alice said, not fully understanding what had caused such a change in her husband’s demeanor. Steve quickly finished his dinner, taking his plate over to the sink, and moving towards to the door.  
“Are you going somewhere?” Alice asked.  
“I’m going to the gym to work out. I’ll be back later.”  
And without another word, Steve walked out the door, slamming it behind him. Alice stared at the closed door for a moment, wondering just what had happened between them. Steve had never left angry like that before. Sure she had seen him go to the gym when he was stressed or frustrated with some of his co-workers, but never when he was angry with her. Usually, they sat and talked things out but something was different this time. Trying to ignore the lump forming in her stomach and the tears threatening to spill behind her eyes, Alice went into the kitchen and did the dishes, finally settling in front of the television once everything was clean, waiting for Steve to come home.  
It was very late when Alice finally heard his key in the door; she was getting ready for bed. She heard her husband toss his keys on the counter then he made his way to the bedroom. Alice gave him a shy look as she continued changing into her pajamas. Steve sighed and went over to her, putting his arms around her waist, kissing up the side of her neck.  
“I’m sorry I walked out like that,” he said.  
“Are you still mad at me?” Alice said, turning around to face him.  
“No. I promise,” he said, leaning down to kiss her, “Let’s just go to bed.”  
Alice agreed and the two of them crawled into bed. Steve rolled over to spoon her, kissing the side of her head as they both fell asleep. Alice knew she probably shouldn’t bring the kid thing up again but now that she had seen Steve’s reaction to it, she felt it was something that couldn’t be avoided


	10. Chapter 10

Over the next week, Clint did a wonderful job taking care of his girlfriend. He made her dinner, helped her get around the apartment when she needed, and spent a vast amount of time with her. Thankfully, the bathroom was on the lower level of their apartment, with the only thing upstairs being their bed. Anne was not a high maintenance girl by any means but she did want a shower at least every other day or so but this proved to be an issue since the doctor had advised that she not get her cast wet. Therefore, a shower meant that Clint had to physically bathe her while she propped her foot outside of the tub because she couldn’t balance enough with her foot like that. Clint felt so horrible about what had happened and he knew it was driving Anne crazy having to depend on him for basic things; she was a very independent person. Slowly, she began to get much better at using her crutches and could move much easier around the apartment which meant that Clint could still go to S.H.I.E.L.D. on a regular basis. However, he still spent every night with her on the couch and Anne was touched by this simple gesture of affection; she couldn’t have asked for a better man in her life.  
Towards the end of the week, Clint and Anne were cuddled on the couch watching television. During a commercial break, he kissed the side of her head before saying,  
“Hey babe, I just found out today I’m being sent on a small mission with Steve and Bruce. I leave tomorrow.”  
“Oh? How long will you be gone?”  
“Only three days. And I promise it’s a low risk mission. Nothing too dangerous.”  
“Good.”  
“But this means I won’t be around to look after you.”   
Anne turned to look at her boyfriend, determined to remove the look of worry on his face.  
“Love, I keep telling you that I’m fine. I have gotten really good with my crutches and I will be more than okay for three days. I have some articles to work on for a few websites and I have plenty to keep myself entertained. I’m not the first person to have a broken ankle you know.”  
She ended her little speech with a sound kiss pressed against his lips. He kissed her back for a few moments, hand wrapping behind her neck to bring her closer. Finally breaking apart, he said,  
“I know. I shouldn’t worry so much. You are definitely more than capable of taking care of yourself.”   
“Yes I am. You just worry about keeping you and Steve safe on this mission. My best friend needs her Captain. And I definitely need my tight shirt man.”  
Anne leaned up and captured Clint’s lips once again, kissing him languidly, slipping her hands up his chest and into his hair. He kissed her back passionately, tongue sliding past her lips while he lowered her gently to the couch, removing her shirt in the process. Releasing her mouth, Clint kissed a line down her neck and across her cleavage.  
“Are we really going to do this on the couch right now?”  
Clint gazed up at her from where his head was resting on her chest, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.  
“I’m going on a mission tomorrow. Might not come back,” he said, placing more kisses against her skin. Anne redirected his gaze back to her.  
“You said it was low risk.”  
“Well you can’t blame a guy for trying to get some sympathy sex.”  
“Hey, if anyone is getting sympathy sex around here, it’s me.”  
“This is true,” Clint conceded, reaching behind her back to unhook her bra, tossing it away as his hands and mouth returned to their place on her chest, “Now, what was it the doctor said about keeping this leg elevated?”  
Anne laughed as the rest of their clothes were quickly removed.


	11. Chapter 11

Alice didn’t bring up the kid thing again for the rest of the week and her and Steve fell into their old routine. But it kept bothering Alice. She knew this wasn’t just a little issue she could overlook; being a mom was something she had wanted her entire life. And she could understand if Steve wanted to put off having kids but it was something they needed to at least talk about because things weren’t as simple for her. For Alice, having children wasn’t something she could put off due to a genetic condition in her family that caused early menopause; her mom had stopped being able to have kids around age 32. And, due to genetics, that was probably when it would happen for Alice too, and she was already 29. This was something she hadn’t told anyone; not even her best friend, Anne...or Steve. She had thought it would never be a real issue and that having kids by the age of 32 wouldn’t be something she had to worry about. But after seeing Steve’s reaction to her even mentioning children, she was beginning to wonder.  
Thursday night, Alice and Steve had just finished dinner and were watching a movie on the couch when Alice turned to him.  
“Steve, we really need to talk.”  
Steve paused the movie, looking at his wife with a look of confusion.  
“What is it, dear?”  
“We need to talk about the kid thing.”  
A dark look came over Steve’s face as he removed his arm from her shoulder, his posture stiffening up.  
“No, we don’t.”  
“Yes we do. I don’t understand why we can’t just talk about it.”  
“And I don’t understand why this is suddenly such a huge issue to you right now,” Steve replied, the volume of his voice rising, as he got off the couch and started pacing.  
“I’m not saying we have to make a huge decision right now; I just think we should have a conversation about it. There are some things you need to know.”  
“Well, there are things you need to know too but I don’t feel like it is a discussion we should be having right now, the night before a mission.”  
“What do you mean the night before a mission? You’re being sent on an assignment?”  
“Yes, early tomorrow morning.”  
Alice was off the couch at this point too, facing her husband with her hands on her hips, the volume of her voice rising as well.  
“And you just decided to tell me this now?”  
“I just found out today!” Steve yelled, getting more and more frustrated.  
“Who are you going with?”  
“Clint and Bruce. It’s only a three day mission.”  
“Is it a dangerous one?”  
“Low risk.”  
“Well, good. Then since this doesn’t seem like such a huge assignment, I don’t see why we have to put off this conversation. This is a big deal to me Steve.”  
“Well it’s a big deal to me too! Just...not for the same reasons,” Steve replied, calming himself down a bit as he ran his fingers through his hair, “Listen, I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I have to get up early so I’m just going to go to bed. You can stay up if you want.”  
And with that, Steve wandered to the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. Alice collapsed on the couch, tears streaming down her face. They had a rule between them that they never went to bed angry but Steve had just broken that rule; Alice didn’t know what to do. She finally decided to just take a few moments and collect herself on the couch. Then she would go join Steve in the bedroom, apologize for bringing the kid thing up again right before a mission, and they could make up; maybe she would even make sure to give him a “proper” send off before they fell asleep. But when she went into the room, Steve was already fast asleep. And when Alice woke up the next morning, he had already left.


	12. Chapter 12

The next morning, Anne woke up, stretching her sore muscles and carefully maneuvering herself to a sitting position, which was difficult with the cast on her leg. Clint had left early that morning, making sure to wake her briefly so he could say goodbye and give her one more kiss. She was just beginning to reach for her crutches, intending on getting off the couch to put on her robe and make some coffee, when there was a knock on her door. Who in the world could that be?  
“Just a minute,” she called as she hobbled over to where her robe was.  
“Take your time, gimpy. I know you’re a bit...slower...than usual,” the voice on the other side of the door said. Anne recognized the voice immediately: Tony Stark.  
She finally managed to get to the door, staring in confusion at Tony standing on the other side, dressed in his typical jeans and Black Sabbath shirt, the arc reactor glowing beneath it.  
“Tony, what are you doing here?”  
“Why are you wearing a robe?”  
“It’s all I had to put time to put on when you knocked on the door. And you didn’t answer my question.”  
“Yeah, Legolas told some people at work about your little accident, asked if someone could pop in, make sure you were okay. Are you naked under there?”  
“I don’t need people to check on me; I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”  
“Sure. Whatever. But I came all the way over here so I feel I should at least get some recognition for that.”  
“Yes. Thank you Tony. I really do appreciate the thought but I’m fine.”  
Tony just continued standing in the doorway, looking at her expectantly.  
“I’m not going to get rid of you, am I?”  
“Not likely.”  
“Fine, come on in.”   
Tony brushed past her and into the apartment while Anne hobbled over and started the coffee maker; she knew she would need several cups to make it through a morning with Tony. She did actually enjoy his company, especially because he could be just as snarky as her; she was just sick of people acting like she wasn’t capable of taking care of herself simply because she had a broken ankle. As she made her way back into the living room, she realized that her and Clint’s clothes were still strewn about from last night, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Tony. He walked over to the couch, picking up her bra from the arm and holding it up.  
“So, I take it you can’t make it upstairs with that thing on your leg?”  
Anne made her way to the couch too, snatching the bra from his hand, and quickly grabbing her underwear off the cushion before he had a chance to notice those too. Tony gave her a smirk as he sat down on the couch while Anne tried to grab her other clothes so she could go change; it took her a long time as she attempted to balance and reach down to the floor to grab her clothes. She finally had them all gathered when she looked at the garments, sighing.  
“Damn,” she said.  
“What is it?” Tony asked, already distracted by something on TV.  
“I just realized Clint didn’t bring me down any extra clothes to wear for the next few days. I mean, I can wear these but they’ve seen two days already.”  
Tony got off the couch and started heading towards the staircase.  
“Where are your clothes? I can grab some for you.”  
Anne just raised her eyebrow at him, looking at him incredulously.  
“No, genuinely. I’ll just grab you a few things.”  
“Okay. The closet is on the far wall up there. Just grab a black skirt and any color top.”  
Moments later, Tony returned with a short, leather, mini-skirt and a tight green top.  
“Really?” Anne said.  
“Well, you said black skirt and any color top.”  
“I did. Thank you.”  
Tony handed her the clothes, placing another garment on top.  
“I also took the liberty of grabbing you a new pair of...well...undergarments to replace the ones you grabbed off the couch.”  
Blushing bright red, Anne took the clothes and slowly made her way to the bathroom. It was a struggle for her to get into the skirt and she found it was even more difficult for her to zip it up in the back. Frustratedly, she collapsed on the side of the tub, her head in her hands; she was so sick of feeling so helpless. She sat there for a few moments until Tony knocked on the door.  
“Hey Rapunzel, you okay in there?”  
Wiping away a tear, Anne replied, “Yeah, I just...can’t zip up my skirt without almost falling over.”  
She made her way over to the door, still trying to wipe away the last few tears. Tony signalled for her to turn around and he politely reached down and zipped up the skirt.  
“Thank you,” she said, “And did I hear you correctly? Rapunzel?”  
“Yeah, spiral staircase, tower...there’s something there.”  
“Ok...do you want some coffee?”  
“Sure,” Tony said, going back to sit down on the couch.  
Anne went to the kitchen and poured them each a mug. She took Tony’s mug to him first, trying to go very slowly so as not to spill the hot liquid. Handing him the mug, she went back for her own, finally joining him on the couch and sipping on the caffeinated drink. Tony slipped his arm around Anne’s shoulders as she cuddled into his side; both knew it didn’t mean anything since they were both in very happy relationships.  
“You know, your boyfriend told me I could never meet you when you first started dating?”  
“I know. He told me. He was afraid I would bruise your ego.”  
“Yeah, well I’m glad he did; you’re pretty cool. Besides, I already know I’m awesome and I doubt any of your snarky remarks could change that.”  
The two of them were still cuddling, just settling in to watch some cheesy 80s movie on TV, when there was another knock at the door. Slowly, Anne got up, making her way to the door for the second time that morning, opening it and shocked to see the person standing behind it.  
“Thor?” she asked incredulously.  
“Hello!” he bellowed, “the archer informed us his romantic companion was injured and in need of looking after in his absence.”  
“Hey Goldilocks,” Tony called from the couch, “I’m all over it.”  
“Okay, first off, I don’t need either of you to look after me! But I don’t mind the company so Thor, won’t you please come in?”  
“Thank you!”  
“Would you like some coffee?”  
“I would love some!”  
Anne went to the kitchen but before she could even reach it, Thor stepped ahead of her.  
“Here, allow me.”  
He got a mug down from the shelf she directed him too and poured himself a cup of the steaming liquid as Anne made her way back to the couch. Thor made his way over, having already downed his cup of coffee, and joined them. Now, Anne and Clint’s couch was fairly big but Thor took up a bit more room than a normal person and Anne found herself sandwiched between the two men, her leg propped up on the table. The three of them sat there watching the movie for the remainder of the morning. When it finally ended, Thor picked up the coffee mugs from the table and carried them to the kitchen while Anne made her way down the hall.  
“Where are you going?” Thor asked.  
“To use the bathroom and I assure you both I can manage that on my own.”  
Anne emerged from the bathroom and joined Tony and Thor on the couch.  
“I’m getting hungry; I’m not sure about you guys.”  
The boys agreed and Tony wandered into the kitchen, ordering them Thai food, and the three of them sat eating it in happy silence. After lunch, Tony discovered Clint’s videogame system and plugged it in, setting him and Thor up to play.  
“Why does Clint have two controllers anyway?” Tony asked.  
“Because he and I play all the time.”  
Both men turned to look at her in surprise.   
“What? Are you seriously surprised that I play videogames? Of the three of us, Thor is probably the least likely candidate for that activity.”  
“It’s true,” Thor agreed, “but the man of iron taught me how.”  
“Yeah, and he’s actually pretty good; he beats me most of the time now. I mean, I never lose. Ever.”  
Thor just had a huge grin plastered on his face as Tony shook his head at him.  
“Well, I bet I could beat both of you,” Anne challenged.  
And this statement kicked off the activities for the rest of the afternoon. For round after round, the three of them traded off playing each other with Anne winning the majority of them. They ordered a pizza for dinner and continued playing long into the night, drinking beers and laughing back and forth as Thor often shouted instructions at the screen, telling his avatars what to do. It was late when Anne finally started getting exhausted, the few beers making her head a bit dizzy.  
“Hey guys, I think I should probably go to bed.”  
“Let me assist you,” Thor said, picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder as he made his way to the staircase.  
“Uh Thor, I appreciate the thought but I actually sleep on the couch for now; I can’t make it up and down the stairs.”  
“Oh, my apologies.”  
“No, it’s okay. I just think I need some rest. Thank you guys for coming over though. Seriously. I liked having the company.”  
“You are most welcome. It is best I return to Jane now anyway. Goodnight, fair Anne.”  
“Goodnight Thor.”  
Thor left the apartment, leaving Tony and Anne just sitting on the couch.  
“You can leave now too, Tony. I’ll be fine; I promise.”  
“Yeah, I’m not so sure about that. What if you fall on the way to the bathroom? No, I think it best for the safety of all that I stay here.”  
“Safety of all?”  
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure Clint would hurt someone if he found out his girlfriend spent the night alone when she was injured.”  
“I am not a helpless child!”  
“I know. And Clint knows that. But, in his line of work, you make enemies. Enemies that come after the people you care about most. He knows you are very good at defending yourself but you wouldn’t be so talented at it with a broken ankle; he just wants to know you will be safe. Let me stay.”  
“Okay. But where are you going to sleep?”  
“Your bed?”  
“No.”  
“Fine. I get it. I will join you on the couch but only cuddling maybe some hand st...ow!” Tony said, his inappropriate speech cut short when Anne smacked him hard on the arm.  
“No, seriously,” he continued, “we can share the couch in an entirely appropriate manner. Trust me. Just, go put on your pajamas.”  
Anne gathered up her top and shorts and headed to the bathroom. When she got back, Tony had taken off his socks and his t-shirt, leaving his jeans on. He led her over to the couch, helping her settle in.  
“Now here, watch,” he said, going to the opposite end of the couch. He curled up with his head on the other armrest, their legs meeting in the middle, “entirely appropriate.”  
“Okay, I agree. But...um...you forgot to turn out the light.”  
“Oh, right.”  
Tony got up, turning off the light and returning to the couch, curling up in the same position as before. After awhile, Tony and Anne fell asleep, the arc reactor faintly lighting up the room with a blue glow.


	13. Chapter 13

The next morning, Anne awoke to the wonderful smell of coffee, bacon, and biscuits and gravy. Sitting up, she looked over and saw Tony, still shirtless, in the kitchen, stirring a pot on the stove. She rose to her feet, grabbing her crutches, and slowly made her way to the kitchen.  
“Good morning.”  
“Morning Gimpy. Did you know you snore?”  
“Yeah, you should hear Clint.”  
“Unfortunately I have. This is why I request my own room on missions.”  
“Yeah, I’m sure that’s the reason, you diva. Thanks for making breakfast, by the way. I didn’t know you could cook.”  
“Only the bad stuff that is sure to clog your arteries. Now, sit at the table and I’ll bring you a plate.”  
Moments later, Tony and Anne were sitting at the table, munching on bacon and sipping their coffee when there was a knock on the door.   
“Stay put, I’ll get it.”  
Tony got up and went to answer the door, surprised to find his girlfriend there.  
“Pepper. What are you doing here?”  
“You know, most girlfriends would not be as understanding as me when their boyfriends don’t come home and then answer the door shirtless at another girl’s apartment.”  
“It’s true; Anne’s my lover now. I’m sorry you had to find out this way.”  
“Shut up,” Pepper said, leaning up to give her boyfriend a kiss, “I’m only here to tell you that Fury needs you at a meeting this morning; one that he knew you forgot about.”   
“Well, tell him I can’t go. I am here, taking care of an invalid, who would probably die without me to entertain her.”  
At this point, Anne had gotten up from the table, making her way to the door.  
“Nope, I am not your excuse to Fury,” Anne said.   
“I am here to spend time with Anne and Phil is waiting for you down in the car,” Pepper said.  
Tony finally admitted defeat, grabbed his shirt, and begrudgindly went down to the car. Pepper joined Anne in the kitchen and ate the remainder of Tony’s breakfast.  
“So,” she said, “Alice is coming over shortly and we are going to have a girls’ weekend, complete with movies and much booze. Sound good?”  
“Sounds wonderful,” Anne said, sipping on her coffee while reaching for another slice of bacon.  
About two hours later, the three girls sat on the couch, watching a movie, and painting their nails; Anne had to stick to just her fingernails but that was okay. Pepper and Alice had brought sleeping bags to stay the night and Anne was vastly enjoying the girl time, something she rarely got. Alice was also very happy to be there; she needed something to take her mind off of Steve.  
“Hey, is it too early to start drinking?” Alice asked.  
“It is never too early for mimosas,” Pepper said, going over to the kitchen and grabbing the champagne she had brought with her, making each of them a mimosa.  
Anne looked at her best friend, an expression of concern painted on her face.  
“It’s not like you to want to drink this early. What’s up?”  
Alice then proceeded to spend the next hour explaining to Pepper and Anne exactly what had been going on with her and Steve and the whole kid thing.  
“I’m not saying we have to get pregnant right now. But he won’t even talk about it.”  
“Well,” Pepper began, “maybe there is just some stressful stuff at work and he feels like having such a big discussion right now is just too much to handle. Maybe give him a month or so and then bring it up then. I mean, missions can really take it out of some people; I know Tony has his months of anxiety as well and I know it is just best to leave him alone during them.”  
“You’re probably right. I will let it go for right now. I just wish that he hadn’t gone off on this mission with us still mad at each other.”  
“Totally understandable. But I’m sure everything will be fine when he gets back tomorrow.”  
“I’m sure you’re right. So Anne, how are you and Clint doing?”  
“Great! I mean, I think he still feels really guilty about the whole broken ankle thing but he has been so good about helping me with stuff; I am really lucky to have him.”  
“Have you guys said ‘I love you’ yet?” Pepper asked.  
“Not exactly. I mean, I think we both feel it but he hasn’t said it and I don’t want to be the first one to say it. I figure the whole Natasha issue has him a bit jumpy about saying it out loud and I don’t want to pressure him into it.”  
“That totally makes sense,” Alice said, “I mean, it took you guys awhile to even get into this relationship. I’m sure you guys will say it when the time is right.”  
“I think we will too. I also think it is time for another mimosa.”  
The rest of the day was spent watching movies, talking about various topics, eating much unhealthy food, and drinking. And the next day was the same way, the girls having no desire to return to normal life. Tony popped in once to try and drag Pepper away but he was immediately kicked out, with Pepper whispering some kind of dirty promise into his ear to convince him to stay away. Eventually, Alice had to get going, knowing that she couldn’t put off all her errands for two weeknds in a row. Plus, Steve would probably be home soon and she wanted to reconcile things with him. So, she got dressed, heading downstairs and taking a cab back to her place, leaving Pepper and Alice sipping on cosmos while putting in another movie.


	14. Chapter 14

Alice spent the remainder of her day grocery shopping, cleaning, and working in the garden. Since she wasn’t sure what time Steve was supposed to be home, she whipped up something easy for dinner, leaving leftovers in the fridge for her husband to eat later. Alice was sitting on the couch, watching a movie, when she finally heard a key turn in the lock. Steve entered the apartment, taking off his coat and shoes, as Alice poked her head around the corner, trying to gauge his mood. When he looked up and saw her, he rushed to her immediately, placing both of his hands on the side of her face and kissing her deeply. Alice returned the kiss, her fingers running through his hair. When he finally released her lips, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him as he stroked her hair.  
“I am so sorry,” he said, “I should never have left things like that.”  
“I’m sorry too. I promise not to push you again. I missed you so much.”  
“Yeah, well I bet I missed you more. And I intend on taking you into that bedroom and proving it.”  
Steve wrapped his arms around Alice, lifting her as her legs came around his waist, their lips meeting once again, tongues exploring. He took her into the bedroom, laying her down on the bed and collapsing on top of her, his hands wandering over her body on top of her clothes, as if he couldn’t get enough of her while he continued to ravish her mouth. Alice quickly began undoing the buttons of his shirt and had it off in no time, her hands wandering up and down his chest while he kissed a line down her neck and across her collarbone. He removed the t-shirt and shorts she was wearing while Alice worked on getting his pants off. Soon, the only fabric between them were their undergarments as Steve allowed his hands to explore further, his lips moving across her cleavage while her fingers tangled in his hair, tugging hard and earning her a moan. Retaliating, he moved his fingers rapidly over the sensitive spot on her spine, while his other hand unhooked her bra and tossed it aside. Starting at her stomach, Steve kissed a line up her entire body, finally capturing her lips once again while she reached down to remove the two remaining clothing items keeping them from showing each other just how much they were missed.


	15. Chapter 15

Pepper and Anne continued drinking for quite awhile and both of them were fairly tipsy when Clint finally got home. He walked in the door and took a look at the two girls on the couch, giggling over something Anne had just said.  
“Oh man, did I miss girls’ night?” he said.  
“You missed girls’ weekend, my dear tight shirt man,” Anne replied, attempting to get off the couch but Clint stopped her, walking over to her and kissing her soundly on the lips.  
“Hi Pepper,” he said, “Thanks for keeping my girl company.”  
“It was no problem. We had a great time. Although I have to admit, Tony was here the first day and I don’t know what payback Anne might have in store for you for that one.”  
“Oh boy.”  
“No, he was perfectly well-behaved,” Anne interjected, “Okay mostly well-behaved. I beat him and Thor at videogames!”  
“I’m sure you did! I can beat Tony and you always beat me.”  
“Speaking of Tony, I should probably get back to him. Who knows what chaos he is causing.”  
“Need me to call you a cab,” Clint offered.  
“No, Tony can just send the car.”  
“Alright. Well, have a good night.”  
“You too.”  
And with that, Pepper headed out of the apartment, already on the phone with Tony. Clint removed his shoes and sat down next to his girlfriend on the couch.  
“Did you miss me? Or were you having too much fun without me?”  
“No, I missed you,” Anne said, “I always miss you.”  
She leaned over and began kissing Clint, grabbing the sides of his vest to bring him closer. He kissed her back, tongue sliding past her lips as his hands ran up and down her sides. Suddenly, he realized he still had his archery gloves on and began to remove them when Anne reached over and stopped him.  
“No, leave them on.”  
Clint arched an eyebrow at her,  
“Really? You kinda like the archer thing, babe?” he asked with a wicked grin.  
Anne nodded, grabbing Clint’s vest again, lowering herself on the couch and bringing him with her. He began to kiss her again, sliding one gloved hand behind her neck, grazing her ear just enough for her to feel the leather of them and causing her breath to hitch. Then reaching down, he slowly removed her top over her head, discovering that she wasn’t wearing a bra, and quickly sliding both hands across her flesh, the feeling of leather causing her to moan into his mouth. Releasing his lips, Anne leaned foward to kiss down his neck, biting lightly at his collarbone while unzipping his vest and tossing it aside, bringing her mouth back to his. Clint allowed his tongue to explore her mouth for awhile before kissing down her neck, her sternum, her stomach, his lips traversing her skin as his fingers slowly and carefully slipped her shorts off, around her cast. Sliding back up her body, he kissed her again, his leather-clad hands wandering over every inch of her exposed flesh until she begged for him and he removed their remaining clothing to give in to her demands.


	16. Chapter 16

The buzz of the alarm sounded loudly in her ear as Alice slowly woke up. Steve was tangled around her, his head resting gently on her shoulder; because he had just returned from a mission, it was unlikely he would be needed at S.H.I.E.L.D. for the next few days and he would definitely be taking the opportunity to rest. Alice extracted herself from his grasp, careful not to wake him, and headed to the kitchen to start the coffee before jumping in the shower. Once the coffee was slowly dripping into the pot, she made her way to the bathroom, stepping into the hot water, allowing it to slowly wake her up. She had just finished rinsing her hair when two strong arms came around her middle,  
“Love, you should go back to bed. There is no need for you to be up this early.”  
“I’ll go back to sleep once you leave. But right now, I just want to spend time with you, make up for the days I missed,” he replied, kissing down her neck.  
Conceding the point, Alice let him stay and her and Steve enjoyed a lengthy morning shower. Once they were done, Alice finished getting ready for work and headed to the gallery, taking her coffee to go. The day seemed to drag on and all she wanted to do was get back home to her husband, feeling the need to make things normal between them again. When she finally clocked out, Alice felt like she couldn’t get home fast enough. She opened the door and was greeted by a symphony of wonderful smells; Steve had made dinner. The two of them sat at the table, eating together and smiling across the table, then spending the rest of the evening cuddled on the couch, watching tv, like nothing was wrong; but they both knew there was a topic lingering over them that neither wanted to bring up.


	17. Chapter 17

Clint had been home for two weeks and life had pretty much resumed to normal; Anne was much better on her crutches and Clint had stopped worrying about her so much. They both slept on the couch together every night but Anne was able to do everything else by herself now, including showering, much to Clint’s disappointment. S.H.I.E.L.D. had been hiring a bunch of new faces so Clint was gone a lot of the time with training and other business for the agency, leaving Anne alone a lot to work on her articles for the local cuisine magazine and entertain herself in other ways. Admittedly, Tony came over a lot to keep her company which Clint appreciated, although he would honestly rather it be Pepper.   
One day, Anne was sitting at home, reading a book when she got a text from Clint asking if she wanted to meet for drinks when he got off work. In desperate need of a night out, she agreed, knowing she better start getting ready now or else she would never make it. The only major problem was that all her cute clothes were upstairs and there was no way for her to get up there; she had a phone call to make.  
“Pepper, hey, it’s Anne. I have a huge favor to ask you.”  
A short while later, there was a knock on her door; Anne went to open it.  
“Hey Pepper, I’m so glad you could come over. I know it is a weird thing to ask but I can’t exactly meet Clint in my pajama shorts and I am not capable of getting up the stairs.”  
“It’s no problem. There’s just one thing...”  
Before Pepper could fully finish her sentence, Tony appeared around the corner. Anne sent Pepper a questioning look.  
“He overheard the conversation and insisted on coming; he claims he knows exactly what outfit you should wear.”  
“I do and Anne will thank me later when it gets her laid,” Tony said, brushing past both of them and heading for the stairs.  
“Umm..Tony,” Anne said, “I don’t exactly need a particular outfit to get Clint to sleep with me; he’s my boyfriend. Kind of comes with that whole relationship thing.”  
Tony pretended not to hear her as he headed upstairs, returning shortly with the black leather mini-skirt and tight, low-cut green top. He handed it to Anne and told her to go change; Pepper just shot her boyfriend a look, shaking her head. Moments later, Anne emerged, proud of herself that she had managed to get the tight skirt on with no issues. Pepper whistled at her while Tony just stood there looking smug. After fixing her make-up and styling her red hair into thick curls, Anne felt sexier than she had felt in weeks, ready to head out the door to meet her boyfriend, when a problem arose.  
“What shoes do I wear?” she said, looking at Pepper, “I haven’t been out since this happened so I haven’t encountered this issue before.  
Pepper ran upstairs, searching through the pile of Anne’s shoes in her closet and finally returning with a simple, shiny black flat. Anne slipped it on and headed over to look at herself in the full length mirror. The outfit was right and everything looked pretty great, except for that big, stupid cast on her leg; Anne’s face fell as she turned to Pepper and Tony.  
“Maybe I just shouldn’t go.”  
“What? Why not?” Pepper asked.  
“Because...this cast makes me look like a moron. We are going to a bar where there are bound to be a ton of hot, sexy girls...and then there’s me.”  
Anne turned back to the mirror, looking herself over again. Tony came up behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders,   
“Anne, you are an incredibly sexy woman and I don’t ever want you doubting that.”  
“Really?” Anne asked doubtfully.  
“Yes, in fact, I would not hesistate to take you right on that kitchen table this very moment...” Tony said, then glanced back at Pepper, “if I wasn’t...you know...dating the most wonderful and forgiving woman in the world...”  
Tony walked back to Pepper, who just shook her head at him and gave him a quick kiss. Feeling a bit more confident, Anne decided to go and grabbed her coat. Tony and Pepper followed her downstairs, dropping her off at the bar in their car before heading back to Stark Tower.  
Entering the bar with her crutches, Anne looked around for her boyfriend, trying to dodge the many people who seemed determined to knock her off balance. Finally, she spotted him, sitting at a table with a girl Anne had never seen before. She had super light-blonde hair that had obviously come from a box and was wearing a red shirt that her huge chest was almost popping out of and a super short, tight, denim skirt. Anne watched as the girl twirled her hair, laughing at something Clint said as she touched his arm; Anne felt her stomach drop as Clint ate up the attention. Trying to regain her composure, Anne approached the table, determined not to be unnerved by this girl.  
“Hey love,” she said, coming up to Clint and placing a big kiss on his lips.  
“Hey,” Clint said when she released his lips, “Oh, Anne, this is Traci,”  
“With an ‘i’” the blonde girl said.  
“Traci, this is Anne.”  
The girls shook hands and Anne attempted to get on the chair next to Clint, having difficulties because it was rather high and her cast was weighing her down. Once she was finally seated and had ordered a drink, she turned to her boyfriend,  
“So, how do you two know each other?” Anne asked, scared to hear the answer, fearing this might be some ex-girlfriend he hadn’t mentioned.  
“Traci is one of our new agents down at headquarters. She’s skilled in interrogation.”  
“Yeah, I just moved here from and haven’t really met anyone yet. Clint here was sweet enough to invite me out for drinks with you guys,” Traci said, touching his arm again.   
Anne eyed the girl across the table, placing her hand on Clint’s thigh, well in view of Traci,  
“Yeah, my boyfriend is the sweetest, isn’t he?”  
“Oh, you guys are dating?”  
“Yeah, we actually live together too. Been over a year now.”  
Traci let the subject drop and turned to Clint, discussing some stuff about work, the two of them laughing about things that had happened that day. Anne just sat at the table, awkwardly sipping her beer, and cursing herself for coming out that night. Normally, Anne did not consider herself the jealous type but her confidence already felt shaken and she didn’t seem to have the courage to be her usual snarky self.  
After several hours, Traci said she had to head home so the three of them left the bar. Clint and Anne took a cab back to their place; Anne cuddled into Clint’s side in the cab. Once they got home, both changed into their pajamas and curled up on the couch; it was late and they were both exhausted. Anne turned her head, kissing her boyfriend soundly on the lips, before working her way down his neck, running her hands up and down his bare chest. After a moment, he pulled back from her,  
“Hey babe, do you mind if we just go to sleep tonight? It was a long day and I just feel spent.”  
“Yeah, no, that’s cool. I’m exhausted too so...”  
“Alright, goodnight,” he said, kissing her briefly on the lips before nuzzling into her side.  
“Goodnight,” Anne replied, shifting a bit in his arms, a tear falling down her cheek as she tried to ignore the knot forming in her stomach.


	18. Chapter 18

Later that week, Clint and Anne made plans to go on a double date with Steve and Alice. They met them at a little burger joint and were sitting in a booth, all catching up with each other. About halfway through the meal, the bell above the door rang and Traci walked in with another girl. She spotted Clint and made her way over to the booth,  
“Clint! Hi! Fancy seeing you here!”  
“Hey Traci! Alice, Steve, this is Traci!”  
“Oh I’ve met Steve before,” Traci said with a giggle, “But I haven’t had a chance to meet his wife yet! He talks about you all the time.”  
Alice politely shook Traci’s hand, glancing over at Anne, a question in her eyes. Anne returned her glance with a look that said she didn’t want to talk about it. Traci finally went to sit with her friend and Alice excused herself to the ladies’ room, signalling with her eyes for Anne to join her. Once there, Alice just looked at her friend for an explanation.  
“Who is that?”  
“That is Clint’s new co-worker.”  
“She works at S.H.I.E.L.D.?” Alice asked in disbelief.  
“I know. Apparently she is really good at interrogation. My theory is that she just talks to the person until they finally tell her what she wants to know just to shut her up.”  
Alice laughed then looked closely at her friend.  
“So, are you okay with Clint working with her?”  
“Not really. I mean, you know how I feel about the perky blonde type after what happened with Josh.”  
“I know. But Clint doesn’t seem like the type to cheat.”  
“Yeah, I guess.”  
“Besides, he is crazy about you; he loves you!”  
“That’s just it! He has never said he loves me and what if he doesn’t?”  
“That’s crazy. He is always so focused on you, showering you with attention.”  
“Well lately, he hasn’t been. I mean, obviously we still spend time together since we live together but he seems less affectionate lately, he comes home later, he’s not snarky with me anymore. And we haven’t...” Anne trailed off at the last part.  
“Haven’t what?”  
“Haven’t...had sex all week.”  
“Well it’s just one week.”  
“Yeah, but that’s not like us. I barely get a kiss goodnight.”  
“Maybe he’s just tired. I mean, Steve has seemed exhausted lately with all the changes going on at the agency.”  
“Maybe. I’m just worried that he might be getting tired of me. I mean, Traci is beautiful and has tons in common with him. Plus she is probably a good fighter, unlike me. Just...maybe Clint is tired of someone he feels like he has to constantly watch out for and he would rather have someone more on his level.”  
“I really don’t think that’s the case. I say just give him some time; I’m sure things will change.”  
“I hope so.”  
The girls left the bathroom and headed back to the table. The four of them finished their meal and then went their separate ways.


	19. Chapter 19

Over the next few weeks, Anne tried to remember what Alice said and give Clint the benefit of the doubt. But it became difficult as he began spending more and more time at S.H.I.E.L.D. and less time with her.   
One weekend, Clint was out on a two-day assignment; Traci had picked him up that morning, much to Anne’s dismay. It was apparently her first time out in the field and Clint was assigned as her partner. Anne was moping around the apartment, curled on the couch watching a chick flick and eating ice cream right out of the container when there was a knock on her door. She opened it to find Tony there with a bottle of whiskey in his hands.  
“Put down the ice cream and back away.”  
“Tony, what are you doing here?”  
“Pepper told me about the whole Clint issue and I am here to make it better.”  
Anne, Alice, and Pepper had all gotten together for a girls’ night out the week before and Anne had told her all about Traci and what was going on with Clint.   
“You’re here to make it better?”  
“Well, technically Pepper was going to come but then she had to go visit her mom for the weekend, so you get me.”  
Anne moved aside to let Tony in, closing the door behind him, still confused as to his presence here; since when had she and the genius billionaire become such good friends? Tony immediately went to the kitchen and poured them each a glass of whiskey, joining Anne on the couch and handing it to her.  
“So, here is the obligatory speech where I tell you that Clint is crazy about you and that Traci isn’t a threat; all true by the way. Then you say something about not believing me even though hearing it from me reassures you because, well, it’s me and I am just an awesome and reassuring person. Now, we drink until we can’t feel feelings.”  
Anne smiled at Tony, sipping on her whiskey,  
“Thank you Tony.”  
“You’re welcome. Now, turn off this girly thing and find something with action.”  
Anne put in a movie that met Tony’s specifications, turned off the lights, and joined him on the couch. He put his arm around her shoulders and they sipped their whiskey, enjoying the movie and each other’s company. After the second glass of whiskey, they put in another movie, continuing their cuddling on the couch, when Anne turned to Tony,  
“You really think I have nothing to worry about with Traci?”  
“I know you don’t; you out-sass her on every level and Clint likes that. Trust me, Clint is crazy about you, in fact he never really shuts up about it; it’s kind of irritating in a cute way.”  
Anne put her head back on Tony’s shoulder,  
“Thanks.”  
“I do what I can,” Tony said, kissing her innocently on the top of the head and returning to watching the movie.   
The next morning, Anne and Tony woke up spooning. The screen on the television was playing the menu screen of the dvd and their glasses sat empty on the floor; they must have just fallen asleep at some point. Getting off the couch, Tony went to make some coffee, enjoying a cup with her before leaving to pick up Pepper from the airport. Anne thanked him again for coming over and went back to make some breakfast.


	20. Chapter 20

About a week later, Clint called and said he would be home late because he was going out with some people; Anne knew that probably included Traci. But she tried to ignore it, trying to remember what Tony said and choosing instead to play videogames until he got home. However, by one in the morning, Clint still wasn’t back. She finally gave up on waiting for him and decided to curl up and go to sleep on the couch. Awhile later, she was awakened to a slamming door as her boyfriend stumbled into the apartment; she could practically smell the alcohol on his breath. He took off his shoes and walked towards the couch, quickly stripping down to his boxers as he joined Anne, laying down on top of her and capturing her mouth, tongue pressing past her lips to explore her mouth; he tasted like tequila. He finally pulled away, kissing down her neck and speaking into her skin,  
“Book nerd...have I told you lately how beautiful you are?”  
He began sucking on her neck, working his way up towards her ear, but Anne stopped him before he got there,  
“Clint, where have you been?”  
“A few of us just went out after work, no big deal.” he said, removing her shirt and beginning to run his fingers over her chest while his lips continued moving across her neck.  
“Clint stop,” she said, finally getting him to look at her, “Where did you guys go? You reek of tequila.”  
“Just to a club..you know...Traci is a great dancer!”  
“You went to a club with Traci?!”   
“Yeah, what’s the big deal? I was thinking of you the whole time,” he said, leaning down and kissing her neck again then whispering in her ear, “thinking of all the dirty things we could do when I got home.”  
Anne pulled away from him,  
“So, you just thought you could go to this club with another girl then come home and have sex with me and that I would be okay with this? No, this is not how this works.”  
“I don’t understand why you’re getting so mad. A bunch of us just went dancing and had a few drinks. That’s all.”  
“Listen, this is really a conversation for us to have in the morning. I am too tired and you are in no shape to have this discussion. Just go to sleep.”  
Clint begrudgingly rolled off the couch, heading towards the stairs.   
“Fine,” he said, “but you can sleep alone tonight then.”  
Anne turned on her side, tears flowing down her cheeks, scared for what the morning would bring for their relationship.


	21. Chapter 21

When Anne woke up the next morning, Clint was in the kitchen making coffee. She slowly got off the couch, grabbing her crutches, and made her way over to him. He handed her a cup of coffee and Anne could tell he was hung over.   
“Coulson will be here soon to pick you up,” he told her.  
Anne looked at him with a look of utter confusion.   
“Where am I going?”  
“You get your cast off today, remember?”  
“You’re not coming?”  
“Do I look like I am in any condition to go anywhere?”  
“Yeah, well who’s fault is that?” Anne said, grabbing the clothes Clint had brought down for her and changing into them. Coulson knocked on the door shortly after, helping her down to the car that would take them to the helicopter. Anne sat in the front seat, arms crossed over her chest, sulking. Coulson looked over at her uncomfortably.  
“You want to talk about it?” he asked.  
“Not really.”  
“Okay.”  
Nothing more was said on the matter the rest of the day. Anne was lifted to the Helicarrier and her cast removed. After thorough examination, it was determined that her leg was completely healed and she wouldn’t even need the physical therapy; she had moved around enough with the cast on that her leg muscles hadn’t weakened very much although walking without it would still take some getting used to. Anne felt so happy to have the cast off and was excited that she could climb the stairs to her apartment without the stupid crutches getting in the way. When she walked in the door, she found Clint sitting on the couch, watching some action movie on TV, and her spirits fell as she remembered their fight. Sitting next to him, she started the conversation she knew she didn’t want to have.  
“So, are we going to talk about last night?”  
Clint turned off the tv, finally turning to look at her.  
“Listen, I’m sorry I came home so drunk. I just needed a night to let loose but it still was pretty rude of me to come home, wake you up, and just expect things from you.”  
“Clint, that’s not why I was upset.”  
“Well, then why? Are you mad that I didn’t invite you because I didn’t think you would exactly have fun at a club with your cast on.”  
“No, I’m upset that you were out dancing and drinking with some other girl!”  
“She’s just a girl from work. What do you have against Traci?”  
“She’s all over you, all the time! And you don’t exactly discourage her attention.”  
“Wait a minute...are you accusing me of cheating?!”  
“Well, she’s gorgeous and has all this stuff in common with you. Plus you spend all this time with her now and barely look at me. Then you’re out until two in the morning, drunk, telling me she’s a great dancer. What am I supposed to think?”  
“You’re supposed to trust me! The way that I trust that you’re not cheating on me with Tony!”  
“You think I would cheat on you with Tony?!”  
“No! That’s my point! I know that you guys have gotten closer and that you cuddle and stuff, but I know it doesn’t mean anything because I trust you! And you should trust me too. Even if Traci was interested in me, which she’s not, you should know that I’m not going to cheat on you. I love you and want to be with you. I am not your ex-boyfriend, in case you haven’t figured that out yet!”  
“You love me?”  
Clint softened, looking over at his girlfriend, who had tears rolling down her cheeks. He pulled her against his chest, stroking his fingers through her hair,  
“Yeah, I do. I have for a long time; I don’t know why I hadn’t said it yet. I love you like crazy, babe. I don’t know what I would do without you.”  
Anne pulled away from his chest, looking into his eyes,  
“I love you too, Clint. You are the most amazing thing to ever happen to me and the thought of losing you killed me.”  
He leaned in and kissed her soundly on the lips, a kiss full of love now fully expressed.  
“Did you really think you’d lose me? To someone like Traci?”  
“Well, she’s pretty and can talk about work stuff with you and is probably a good fighter...”  
“So? Traci is nice but she isn’t you. And she definitely doesn’t have your sass...or your hooker boots,” Clint added with a snarky grin.  
“Hey, you leave my boots out of this.”  
“Whatever you say, book nerd.”  
“I love you, my tight shirt man.”  
“I love you too. Now, what do you say, since you have your cast off, we go upstairs and re-christen our bed? Multiple times?”  
“I say I’ll race you there.”  
The two of them jumped from the couch, clambering up the stairs after each other. When they reached the top, Clint grabbed his girlfriend, tossing her onto the bed and following her down, capturing her lips and kissing her hungrily. Before long, every bit of clothing was removed and they showed each other just how much they loved each other all night.


	22. Chapter 22

Meanwhile, back at Alice and Steve’s place, life had been proceeding as normal. Steve and Alice worked during the week and spent their weekends together running errands and just spending time together. To any outside observer, it seemed as if they were just another happy married couple, but both of them knew there was a topic that was being avoided. One night, Steve and Alice were in bed. Admittedly, Steve had been extra affectionate after feeling so guilty about leaving during a fight and this particular night was no different. Laying down on top of Alice, he began to work his way down her neck, removing her nightgown over her head as she ran her hands up and down his bare chest. He was reaching down to remove the remaining fabric between them when he suddenly paused, looking down at his wife,  
“Um, you’ve been taking your pill right?”  
“Yes...why wouldn’t I be?”  
“No reason. Just making sure.” Steve said, leaning down to kiss her, but Alice turned her cheek, pushing him off her and rolling away from him.  
“Are you seriously suggesting right now that I would just stop taking my birth control so that we could have a kid without us having a conversation?”  
“No, I just wanted to make sure we were still on the same page with it.”  
“You know how you make sure someone is on the same page as you, Steve? You talk about it. But you don’t seem to want to do that.”  
“It’s just not something we need to think about right now; we have plenty of time to think about it.”  
“No, no we don’t Steve. Because I might not be able to have kids in a few years.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Nothing. Just forget it. Let’s just go to sleep and talk about this later,” Alice said, turning on her side and curling up.  
“Fine,” Steve said, grabbing his pillow and heading towards the door.  
“Where are you going?” she said, looking at him.  
“I think I’m going to sleep on the couch tonight.”  
“But you’ve never slept on the couch before.”  
“Well, I just need some space. There’s a first time for everything.”  
And with that, Steve walked out into the living room, leaving Alice alone in the bedroom, sobbing herself to sleep.  
The next morning, Alice woke up and wandered in the kitchen, finding Steve already there with coffee made and breakfast on the stove. She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table; moments later, Steve joined her, setting down a plate of pancakes for each of them. They ate in silence before Steve finally spoke up,  
“Listen, I’m really sorry about last night. I know I keep putting off the baby discussion and I think its time to tell you why. As a child, I had a lot of health issues, you know that. And I am afraid that any kid we have will be born with those same issues. Honestly, I am a miracle baby that probably shouldn’t have lived and I don’t want to risk that for our child.”  
“So you’re saying that you really don’t want to ever have kids?”  
“Yes. I just don’t know if I could put a child through what I went through.”  
Alice reached across the table and took Steve’s hand, intertwining her fingers with his.  
“I understand your hesitation; I really do. But, will you at least agree to talk to a doctor with me?”  
“What do you mean?”  
“I mean there are tests they can do to see the odds of our child being born with those issues. Science has come a long way since you were born. At least agree to sit down with a doctor with me. Please?”  
Steve looked at his wife, saw the desire in her eyes.  
“Okay. Sitting down with a doctor wouldn’t hurt. We’ll go next week if you want to make the appointment.”  
Alice smiled, standing from her chair, and went over to her husband. She sat down on his lap, kissing him soundly, her hands threading in his hair. Soon, breakfast was forgotten as Steve carried his wife into the bedroom to finish their activites from the night before.


	23. Chapter 23

Clint and Anne woke up tangled together, faces only inches from each other. Clint smiled at her before leaning over to kiss her passionately, rolling them over so he was on top of her. He gazed down at her after breaking the kiss,  
“Good morning, beautiful.”  
“Morning.”  
“Hey, did you know that I love you?”  
“Yeah? Did you know that I love you too?” Anne replied with a smile.  
“Yeah, pretty sure you definitely demonstrated that to me last night...repeatedly and quite creatively at times I might add. Babe, do you know how freaking sexy you are?”  
“No, maybe you should remind me,” Anne said, grinning at him wickedly.  
“I can definitely do that,” Clint said beginning to kiss down her body. He had just vanished under the covers when his phone started ringing.  
“Ugh, I better get that. That is the emergency ringtone, usually means Fury himself.”  
Clint picked answered the phone,  
“This is Agent Barton...uh huh...okay...yes, right away sir.”  
He hung up and Anne glanced over at him, noticing how pale he had gotten.  
“What’s wrong?” she asked, as Clint sprung out of bed, beginning to get dressed and packing a bag, “Where are you going?”  
“There’s been a national crisis out in Los Angeles. Chemical weapons, hostage situations, weapons technology not even S.H.I.E.L.D. has seen before. They’re sending in everyone.”  
Anne sat up in the bed, a look of almost panic on her face.   
“How long will you be gone?”  
“Hard to say. They don’t even know who’s behind this yet.”  
Clint saw how worried his girlfriend was and he sat down next to her on the bed, taking her face into his hands,  
“I’ll be okay. I know how to keep myself safe.”  
“I know. It’s just, you don’t have any armor or anything to protect you. And...I just...”  
“I know, I know. Listen,” he said, tilting her chin so he could look into her eyes, “I will come back to you; I promise. Okay? Do you believe me?”  
Anne slowly nodded her head, noticing that even his eyes looked like he wasn’t sure of his promise.  
“I love you, so much.”  
“I love you too,” Anne said, a tear rolling down her cheek. Clint kissed her deeply, as if he was saying goodbye, and grabbed his stuff, running out the door to the car where Coulson was already waiting.  
Steve woke Alice up with a soft kiss placed on her lips. She rolled over onto his chest, drawing designs on his skin and sighing happily. It was so nice to have things feeling normal between them again and she was looking forward to a relaxing weekend spent with him. She kissed him gently on the lips and got out of bed, putting on her robe. Heading to the kitchen to make coffee, she heard his phone go off and Steve answered it. She returned from starting the coffee maker and saw her husband dressing and packing in a hurry.  
“Steve, what’s going on?”  
“That was Fury. There’s been an attack in Los Angeles. Chemical warfare, hostages, advanced weapons technology. I’m being sent in; everyone is.”  
Alice noticed the look of worry on her husband’s face.   
“Well, I’m sure you guys can handle it,” she said, going over to place her hand on his arm, “You’ve dealt with stuff like this before right?”  
“Not like this. This is some new stuff. Listen,” Steve said, leaning down to look his petite wife in the eyes, “I will do my best to stay safe and come home to you. I love you. And I always will.”  
“I love you too, Steve,” she replied, leaning up to kiss him. He grabbed his stuff, running out the door as Alice began to cry. She knew that Steve would do anything to protect people and she admired that in him; she just hoped that this time his nobility wouldn’t cost him his life.  
Almost immediately after their men left, both Alice and Anne got calls from Pepper; she said they should come over and stay at Stark Tower until the boys got back. Agreeing that that was a good idea, both girls packed bags and headed over, running into Jane as they were walking in. Jane looked less concerned than them considering Thor was technically a demigod, but she still looked a bit worried. All three girls went inside where Pepper had a large-screen television on, watching things unfold in Los Angeles.


	24. Chapter 24

Every member of the team was working hard to contain the situation in Los Angeles. They had been able to drive the enemy away, reducing gunfire and explosions, but their was one last parting shot involving a chemical grenade that forced people into hiding. Quickly running for cover, Clint and Traci found themselves in an abandoned movie trailer, coughing and hacking from whatever had been released outside. Clint quickly worked on sealing the doors and any cracks before searching the trailer to see what supplies might be there; all he found were some health bars and bottled water. He joined Traci on the couch that was inside,  
“Alright. Looks like we could be here for a bit but we shoud be safe. Hopefully, this gas will clear in a day or two and we can go back out and find the others.”  
“Okay. Clint, I’m really scared,” she said, trying to seem innocent and in need of protection.  
Clint put his arm around her, trying to calm her down,  
“We’ll be okay. For right now, I think our best bet is to eat a little bit and try to rest up. Don’t know when we’ll get a chance to rest again.”  
Traci agreed and her and Clint munched on the health bars and drank some of the water. It was starting to get dark outside as Clint found some blankets in a small closet. He handed one to Traci, telling her she could take the couch, while he grabbed a pillow and laid down on the floor. He was just about to drift off when he felt his blanket lift a bit and Traci slipped her arm around his middle.  
“Traci, what are you doing?”  
“Well, it got lonely on the couch, so I thought I would join you on the floor.”  
Traci leaned over and began kissing his neck causing Clint to leap up off the floor.  
“Traci! Knock it off! I have a girlfriend.”  
“And I have a boyfriend back in my home town but I don’t see either of them here right now. There’s nothing wrong with having a little fun,” she said, getting up off the floor and walking towards Clint, “And sex has even been scientifically proven to be a great stress release.”  
Traci started unzipping her uniform but Clint grabbed her hands, stopping her.  
“No! I love my girlfriend! I will never cheat on her!”  
Traci backed off, pouting,   
“Well, you were pretty friendly with me at the club! You certainly didn’t seem too concerned then!”  
“Traci, we were just out as friends and you know that.”  
“So why did you dance with me?”  
“We were at a club; that’s what you do. You’re not the only girl I danced with; it didn’t mean anything.”  
“Well, it sure felt like it meant something.”  
“I’m sorry I gave you that impression. Anne is the only girl in the world for me and I’m not going to do anything that would jeopardize that relationship. Now, go sleep on the couch. Also, when we get back, I’m putting in a request to have you transferred. The behavior you exhibited was unprofessional and I feel someone else should be your partner on future assignments.”  
Traci went back down and flopped on the couch, grumbling to herself, as Clint layed back down on the floor, pulling the blanket over him and falling asleep for a few hours until they could move out again.


	25. Chapter 25

Steve was outside when the bomb went off and he tried to take cover as quickly as possibly. Gasping and sputtering, he ran into a nearby house, slamming the door then searching for any leaks or cracks in the building. The house appeared to be abandoned as he went from room to room, until he came across a kid’s bedroom. Inside was a little boy, probably no more than five, sitting on the bed with his knees pulled up around his chest. When Steve walked in the room, the boy’s eyes opened wide in excitement, taking in the red, white, and blue outfit of the man standing in front of him.  
“You’re Captain America!” the kid shouted, scrambling off the bed and limping over to the side of the room where he had a plastic replica of the shield. He picked it up, showing it to Steve proudly. Steve walked over to the boy, kneeling beside him,  
“Hey, what’s your name?”  
“My name’s Tommy!”  
“Are you hurt Tommy?” Steve said, preparing to examine the boy’s leg.  
“No, I’m okay. I only limp because of this,” he said, lifting a pant leg and showing Steve a metal brace, “My mommy says I was dropped from heaven as a baby and my daddy says that it doesn’t matter if I limp because I can still grow up big and strong and be a superhero like you!”  
Steve smiled at the little kid, tears forming behind his eyes as he glanced around the room and out the door.  
“Where are your parents now Tommy?”  
“I don’t know,” the boy said sadly, “some bad men with guns came and took them away.”  
“Well, we’ll find them okay.”  
The little boy nodded slowly.  
“Tommy, would you like something to eat?”  
Again, Tommy nodded, eagerly this time and Steve picked him up, heading down to the kitchen to see what was there. He fixed him some food and ate some himself. Tommy babbled on and on about how much he loved Captain America and wanted to be just like him someday. Steve couldn’t help the huge smile that came across his face; if his son was anything like this kid, there was no way he wouldn’t want children.


	26. Chapter 26

Back at Stark Tower, the four women watched the new anxiously. Bombs exploded and guns were fired. Eventually, the gas from the chemical weapon had cleared and people started making their way back out into the streets. The news covered footage of the Avengers Team clearing debris, freeing hostages, and driving the enemy back where they came from. Pepper and Jane let out a sigh of relief as both Tony and Thor emerged from an explosion unscathed. Alice and Anne searched the screen for any signs of their men as the wreckage began to clear away. Finally, Alice spotted Steve. He was carrying a little boy who wore a brace on his leg and Alice felt tears form behind her eyes. The little boy suddenly pointed out two people who must have been his parents and Alice watched as Steve carried him over to them where they joyfully reunited, expressing their gratitude to the Captain. Anne felt her heart racing as she searched for any sign of Clint but she didn’t see any; she dreaded the worst. The news then cut back to the regular anchors, thanking the Avengers for a job well done. Anne looked around the room in horror, tears starting to roll down her cheeks. Alice went over to her best friend, putting an arm around her shoulders,  
“I’m sure Clint is okay. He is probably just in another part of the city.”  
Anne nodded her head, trying not to panic. The four women kept the news on, waiting to see if there were more updates but none came and they knew their men would be on their way home. Eventually, Alice and Jane both left, heading back to their own places to wait for their men. Anne stayed with Pepper, who was doing her best to calm her down. Several hours later, JARVIS announced the arrival of Tony, who walked into the room where Pepper and Anne were waiting, walked directly up to his girlfriend to hug and kiss her. Anne stood off to the side, waiting to see if he had any news.  
“I came home on my own plane; I thought he would be with the rest of them.”  
“Did you see him at all before you left?” Anne asked.  
“No, but the disaster was city-wide so he was probably just in another location with the other agents.”  
Anne felt a lump forming in her stomach and it was hard to breathe. Tony walked over to her and pulled her in close to him while Pepper went to fetch her a glass of water. Pulling away for a moment, Tony looked down at her, hands on her shoulders.  
“Listen, he’s fine. I’m sure of it. With a girl like you waiting here, there’s no way he’s not coming home. Okay?”  
Anne nodded, sipping on the water Pepper handed her. They both suggested that they take Anne home in case Clint did come back with the others and was waiting for her there. She agreed and the car dropped her off at her apartment. Slowly, she walked up the stairs, hoping that he was just waiting inside. But the apartment was empty.


	27. Chapter 27

Anne sat on the couch, clutching desperately at the t-shirt of Clint’s she had put on for comfort, as she dialed Coulson’s number again; Clint had given it to her for emergencies. Finally, he answered.  
“This is Coulson.”  
“Coulson, it’s Anne. Clint hasn’t gotten back yet. Is he okay? Have you heard from him?”  
“I’m sorry but I wasn’t his point of contact for this mission and I haven’t been back to the Helicarrier yet. I know Fury was his direct contact and I am sure he would contact you if something had happened. Don’t panic yet.”  
“Alright. Thank you.”  
Anne hung up the phone, curling up on her side on the couch and sobbing. Maybe it was good news that she hadn’t heard anything yet but it didn’t change the fact that all she could do was wait and pray that he was okay. Anne sobbed and sobbed until she felt she had nothing left in her and she fell asleep on the couch, still wrapped in his t-shirt.  
“Anne, Anne, wake up,” a voice said above her, shaking her shoulder.  
Anne slowly lifted her head, groggy and trying to place exactly where she was and how much time had passed. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying and her hair was a mess from her nap on the couch. She rolled over and found Clint staring down at her, concern in his eyes. Anne shot up to a sitting position, wrapping her arms around Clint and practically tackling him down onto the couch. Tears were rolling down her face as she kissed him, never wanting to let him go. He finally sat them both up and Anne pulled away from him, finally getting a good look at him. He had a black eye and various cuts and scrapes. There also appeared to be a huge gash on his right arm that had required stitches. Anne reached her hand over, barely grazing one of the cuts on his cheek,  
“You’re hurt. What happened?”   
“Well, Traci and I were in another part of the city and we were pulling some civilians out of a building when it collapsed. Traci got away but I was caught under some rubble. She radioed for help and they were able to get me out but they didn’t want me returning here until I could be thoroughly examined for head trauma. I am so sorry no one told you.”  
“I was worried sick about you. I thought I would never see you again,” Anne said, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend again.  
“I told you I would come back to you, babe,” he said, leaning over to kiss her again.  
“I know. Just don’t scare me like that ever again, okay?”  
Clint smiled at her, shaking his head.  
“I promise.”  
Clint then realized how late it was and suggested they go to bed; Anne agreed and the two of them went upstairs, removing their clothes and slipping into bed. Anne curled up against his chest and his arm came around her, holding her close to him. His other hand lifted her chin, kissing her passionately before releasing her lips, and the two of them fell soundly asleep, grateful for the presence of the other.


	28. Chapter 28

Alice was in the kitchen, baking up a storm and waiting for Steve to return home; she always baked when she was stressed. Finally, as she was pulling a batch of cookies from the oven, turning it off, a key turned in the lock. Alice practically dropped the cookie sheet down on the stove and ran to where Steve stood in the hall, still wearing his Captain American uniform, minus the mask. She jumped on him, wrapping her legs around his waist as he kissed her, backing her against the wall. They kissed until they both couldn’t breathe and Steve finally released her lips. Alice looked at her husband, tears of joy rolling down her cheeks,  
“I’m so glad you’re safe. And home.”  
He kissed her again, carrying her into the bedroom and laying her down on the bed.  
“I missed you so much,” he said, standing up and quickly removing his uniform, before laying down on top of her on the bed again, kissing her over and over, working on removing her clothes.  
“And you know what,” he continued, “I want kids. I really do.”  
Alice gazed up at him, a huge smile on her face,  
“You do? What changed your mind?”  
“I met this little boy, who suffered from a lot of what I did as a kid, but he was so happy. And he wanted to grow up and be a superhero. If our son is even half as great as him, we will be lucky parents. I want to share this with you, to raise a child, and show him what a difference he can make in the world.”  
Alice’s face could barely contain her smile as she leaned up to kiss her husband.  
“Okay, I want to do this too,” she said.  
Steve smiled again, reaching down to remove her remaing clothes quickly, kissing down her neck and running his hands over her body.  
“Oh, are we doing this right now?” she asked with a giggle.  
“Yeah, I don’t want to wait anymore. You haven’t taken your pill yet today right?”  
“Well, no, and I think I may have missed yesterday. I was so worried about you, I didn’t think about it,” she said.  
“Good,” Steve replied, continuing to kiss her all over as she ran her hands through his hair. And they spent the rest of the evening in bed, leaving the cookies forgotten on the stove.


	29. Chapter 29

Anne slowly opened her eyes, smiling as she realized she was still asleep on Clint’s chest. He was already awake, his fingers playing in her hair. She looked up at him, smiling and placing kisses on his chest.   
“Do you know how beautiful you are?”  
“Oh yeah, I imagine I look especially sexy with my hair all a mess from sleeping.”  
“I think it’s my favorite look on you,” Clint said, bringing her mouth up to his so he could kiss her good morning. Anne slowly rolled them over so he was on top of her, still kissing her. His hand slid up her side, over her chest, and into her hair, bringing her closer. When he finally released her mouth, he just gazed lovingly down at her, running his thumb over her cheek.  
“Babe, I owe you a major apology.”  
Anne looked at him confused,   
“What for?”  
“You were right about Traci. She came onto me during the mission; I promise I didn’t do anything with her. But she made me realize that I was probably giving her too much attention and that I shouldn’t have gone to the club when you were here. I am so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?”  
Anne reached up, running her fingers through his hair,  
“Love, I forgave you already. I know you love me.”  
“I do, so much. And, there was a moment on my mission where I really didn’t think I was going to make it back. That I wasn’t going to see your face again or kiss your lips. It scared me to death.”  
“Clint, why are you telling me this?”  
“Sorry, I guess I am rambling. What I’m really trying to say is that, in that moment, I knew that you were the only girl I would ever love.”  
“And you’re the only man I will ever love,” Anne said, smiling at him and leaning up to kiss him again.  
“Do you mean that?” he asked, his face lighting up.  
“Of course. With all my heart.”  
“Then,” Clint began, brushing hair out of her face, “book nerd...will you marry me?”  
“Really?” Anne said, beaming ear to ear.  
“Really. I know this isn’t the most romantic proposal or anything but I really couldn’t wait to ask you.”  
“Yes. Yes my tight shirt man, I will marry you,” Anne said excitedly, bringing his lips back down to hers and kissing him breathless. They finally broke apart and Clint pressed his forehead to hers,   
“I can’t believe you said yes. I was so nervous.”  
“You? Nervous? Not my brave superhero.”  
“I was. And I’m really sorry I don’t have a ring. I figured we could go look together, today. Does that sound like a plan?”  
“That sounds perfect. But first, I have plans for you right here.”  
“Oh you do?”  
“Yes, many of them in fact. Would you say that you are in good physical condition?” Anne asked, rolling them over so she could straddle him.  
“Yes,” Clint said with a gasp, as Anne leaned down to suck on his collarbone, grinding her hips against him as his excitement grew.  
“Good...because I have some plans that might require great physical exertion,” Anne whispered against his skin, “and some creative movements,” she continued, moving up to his neck and sucking a dark mark into it, “and this time” she said, suddenly getting up and moving across the room, “I’m the one wearing your gloves.”  
Clint’s eyes got wide and a smile spread across his face as Anne grabbed his archery gloves, putting them on and returning to the bed. She slid her hands over his chest, causing him to moan as she kissed him passionately again, setting off activities that lasted most of the morning.


	30. Chapter 30

A few weeks later, Alice woke up with a start; she didn’t feel so good. This had been happening every morning for the last week it seemed. Steve had been a huge support, comforting his sick wife and holding her hair. As she was leaving the bathroom that morning, something hit her, an explanation as to why she was feeling this way. The moment Steve left for S.H.I.E.L.D. that morning, Alice ran to the drugstore, returning home with item that would give her an answer.  
Later that night, Alice sat excitedly in the living room, just waiting for Steve to get home. He entered the front door, taking off his coat and looking at his wife.  
“You look incredibly happy. Did something happen today?”  
“Darling, sit down.”  
Steve sat down on the couch next to her, looking at her with a look of confusion. Alice took a deep breath,  
“Steve...I’m pregnant.”  
A huge smile crossed his face as he wrapped Alice in his arms, kissing her repeatedly.  
“Really?”  
“Yeah, I took the test today and then made an appointment to see the doctor this weekend.”  
“That’s so exciting. Wow. We’re having a baby. I can’t wait to teach him how to play ball and work on cars and...” Steve said excitedly, losing focus.  
Alice placed a hand on his arm, bringing him back to earth,  
“Honey...you know we could have a girl right?”  
Steve looked at his wife, an amusing look on his face; he hadn’t thought of that.


End file.
